Watercraft



' July 11 1939.- JfE. CANTON WATERCRAFT Filed Oct. 15, 1937 3 Shee'fcs-Shet 1 y 11, 1 J. E. CANTON 2,165,745

' WATERCRAFT Filed Oct. 15, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J din o July 11, 1939. J. E. CANTON WATERCRAFT Filed Oct '15, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet :5

Patented July 11,1939- UNITEW PATENT Application October 15, 1937'. sesame. 169,316

In France June 5, 193? 1 Elaine.

'iihe present invention relates to watercraft oi the type comprising two longitudinal parallel floats which are rigidly connected together.

According to the invention, the floats are so arranged as to form, in themselves, the whole or a part of the hull, and are not mounted under a separate hull, as in the known devices.

' In the accompanying drawings, which are given solely by way of example:

Fig. 1 isan end view of a craft in conformity with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a cross-section'on the line 3-3 of F Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the same.

Fig. 5 is'a cross-section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6, of another embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a corresponding longitudinal section on the line 66 of Fig. 5. i

Fig. 7 is a plan view.

Figs. 8 and 9 are longitudinal sections of two other modifications.

Fig. 10 is a front end view of an apparatus having watertight compartments.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section on the line lL-H of Fig. 12. a I Fig. 12 is a corresponding plan view.

Fig. 13 is a view of the rear panel of the hull.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the said craft comprises two parallel longitudinal floats I and 2, the respective internal faces of which are connected together, over their whole length, by a platform 5 comprising all necessary reinforcing cross-pieces, which may have the parallel position or the form of a St. Andrews cross.

The external faces 6 and] of the floats'are extended vertically to a suflicient height, in order to protect the boat against the waves.

As will be observed, the floats form an integral part of the hull, which may be closed at the top, for instance at 8, 9, in order to form a torped or an inside steering vessel. l The propulsion is ensured for instance by a wheel ii] having a number of paddles which are narrow in the radial direction and long in the direction of the axis. The said wheel is located in front of the occupants. It is mounted in a cylindrical casing H which is open at the bottom.

The said casing is joined to the flooring 5 by serves to separate the stream of water taken up vertical walls 6 and 1.

by the wheel into two parts, one of which is driven in a direction parallel with the flooring 5, to the rear, whilst the other makes a complete revolution in the dium I i. This distribution will depend upon the speed of the craft and upon the centrifugal force of the mass of water impelled by the wheel.

The wheel I!) is driven by any suitable means, for instance by a crankshaft M (Figs. 2 and 3) having four cranks. The two adjacent cranks which are actuated by the same person are ofiset by 180, and the planes of the two right-hand cranks and the two left-hand cranks are ofiset by The said shaft M which drives-for instance by one or two chains l5 or by a set of gearsthe wheel ill located at. the front, operates in bearings secured'to the hull in a fixed position (Fig. 3). or preferably, as shown in Fig. 2, in members I 6 which are pivoted at IT to the hull.

Each member l6 cooperates with a rod l8 thread- L ved at both ends, which is screwed into two holes whereof one is pierced in the member l6 movable about the axis H, and the other is pierced in the stationary bearing IQ of the shaft 2|] of the wheel I, and this permits of varying the position of the crankshaft H by simply displacing the nuts on the rod l8. This aflords a ready adjustment of the tension of the driving chain or chains l5.

The occupants are seated in a very low position, and side by side upon flexible seats the position of which is adjustable. The said seats may be removable, and of a folding type. The seats may comprise a canvas piece or band 2| (Fig. 2) which is stretched between two rods'22-23. The rod 22 is engaged in two notches formed in two respective racks 24 secured to the respective The axle 23 is mounted at the upper ends of two pieces 250i wood or metal which are pivoted on a stationary pivot 2i secured to the flooring and maintained in the desired position by two links 2? pivotally mounted on the respective Wood piece 25 and engaged in one --of the notches of a member 28 secured to the flooring 5.

The rudder 29 may be located at the rear between the floats, and may, be operated either directly by a lever 29 or by'a transmission and asteering wheel. The craft might be steered by a rudder located at the rear of one of the floats.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7' relate to a boat containing an engine 30, with propulsion by a wheel ill located in a casing ll, which is joined to the flooring 5 by two joining surfaces l2 and i3, as in the preceding construction. The engine 30, which is located in the rear of the wheel I, drives this latter by a chain l5 or by a set of gearing. The load and the occupants are situated at the front part. The wheel I is preferably mounted near the longitudinal center of inertia of the craft.

Fig. 8 relates to a modification in which the propulsion is effected by an engine 30 driving a propeller which can be lifted. The propeller shaft is contained in a tube 33 and is pivoted by cardan at 34, the said tube being secured to a lifting sector 35. It should be noted that the propulsion might be effected by manual operation, with the use of a propeller pivoting in all directions, thus providing for the propulsion as well as the steering.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9, the boat part extends only over a part of the floats l-2, which appear as separated from the main portion, for instance at the rear of the craft. The back part of the framing is terminated by an inclined wall 36 which occupies the whole width of the craft. The two floats are separately decked in the rear at 31, and it is preferable that this part of the floats should be readily removable by a rapid manipulation, in order to reduce the length of the apparatus for transportation.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 10 to 13, the front parts of the two floats are partitioned by two vertical walls 40, thus forming two watertight compartments 4|.

Two other watertight compartments 43 are secured to the rear of the floats I and 2, through the medium of a rear vertical panel 44 pertaining to the hull. The said panel, which is cut out as shown in Fig. 13, is situated between the front transverse walls 45 of the compartments 43 and the rear transverse walls 46 of the floats, and the whole construction is rigidly assembled by bolts 41 with nuts 48,- which are accessible through openings 49 formed at the rear part of the flooring 5.

In this construction, the shaft 20 of the wheel I0 is mounted, as before, in bearings 19 which are secured to the hull in a flxed position. The bearings of the shaft I4 are also adjustable with reference to the-front bearings IQ, for instance by means of threaded rods 52 (Fig. 11) with .nuts 53. This provides for a ready adjustment of the tension of the transmission chain or chains I5.

The rod 22 for the seats is, secured to two supports 24 which are mounted on the flooring, either in front of the supports or at intermediate points on the said supports, for instance by means of fastening notches, in the same manner as in the example shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The rod 23 i mounted on the top of the two wood or metal pieces 25 which are pivoted on a pivot 26 secured to the support 24 and can be held in the desired position by two links 21 which are pivotally mounted on the supports 24 either in a fixed position or in an adjustable position.

As will be observed, the said craft consists, as far as the rear panel 44, of a front driving part forming the hull, and from the said panel to the rear, of two removable supporting compartments, and which, as they are removable, will provide for a great reduction in the size of the apparatus during transportation.

Obviously, the said invention is not limited to the embodiments herein described. and represented, which are given solely by way of example.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A Watercraft comprising two parallel spaced floats, a platform including two end portions each forming at least a part' of the top wall of each float and a central portion extending between the opposite inner side walls of the floats to maintain the floats in parallel spaced relation, the outer side walls of said floats having portions extending above said platform, transverse wall portions forming together with said extended portions a watertight hull for protecting the passengers from the waves, a paddle wheel rotatably supported between the two floats, a crank shaft formed adjacent each end thereof with a pair of pedal cranks, a transmission between said crank-shaft and said paddle wheel, a passenger seat on the top wall of each float at the rear part of the hull and an opening provided in-the top wall of each float in front of each seat-and below the pedals so as to'provide at this place a deep free space for the feet of the passengers.

JEAN EUGENE CANTON. 

